Nigeria Sports Arena

The Nigeria Football Federation has named Coach Manu Garba (MFR) as Head Coach of the U-17 National Team, with a mandate to repeat his World Cup –winning feat of 2013 at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.   Soft –spoken Garba, who was elevated to the U-20 team after the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup triumph, led the Flying Eagles to lift the African title in Senegal last year, but his boys failed to progress beyond the Round of 16 at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.   Garba will now be assisted by Atuni Ali and Ernest Teigpanyo. The Golden Eaglets will a few months begin the qualification series for the 2017 African U-17 Championship, which will be hosted by Madagascar.   The NFF also confirmed Bala Nikyu as Head Coach of the U-17 girls team, Flamingos. He will be assisted by Queen Gwendolyn with Lateef Yusuf as goalkeeper trainer.   Flamingos have already qualified for the final round of the African qualification series for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Wo...

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has said he hopes for a convincing win over hosts Senegal in Sunday’s opening match at the 2015 AYC in Dakar. “We want to win convincingly because in any tournament your opening match is very crucial. It will boost your confidence,” said Manu. “With the U17s (2013 CAF U17 Championship), we started very well by beating Ghana 6-1 before we went all the way to the final. “We also trounced Mexico 5-1 in our opening match at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup and then went on to win the tournament. “This is how we wish to start the competition in Senegal, even though we respect and do not underrate our opponents, who will be playing at home in front of their fans.” The coach added: “We want to win all our matches and by implication it means we want to be champions in Senegal and go to the World Cup in New Zealand as African champions.” The Flying Eagles will be one of the youngest squads at this year’s...

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has maintained his team still need to work on some weaknesses they noticed during the two test matches against Ghana this week. The Nigeria U20 team beat their hosts 2-0 in the second friendly on Wednesday after both teams drew 2-2 in the first game on Monday. “We hope to be ready when we have picked the final squad of 21 players for the African Youth Championship and have worked on some of the grey areas we noticed in Ghana,” said Manu. “We therefore hope to soon begin our training camp in Gambia so we could concentrate on some of the lapses we saw in the team.” The Flying Eagles returned to Abuja from Ghana on Thursday. “Overall, the two matches were a good test for us and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must again be give the credit for this,” Manu said. The Nigeria youth team are drawn in a tough Group A along with hosts Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo. The 2015 African Youth Championship ki...

The Flying Eagles are sweating on the fitness of star forward Musa Yahaya, who is nursing a knee injury he suffered in a warm-up match in Ghana. The Tottenham Hotspur youth star is expected to undergo a scan to determine the extent of the injury he received when he was dangerously tackled in the Flying Eagles second friendly against Ghana on Wednesday. The injury forced him out of the match in the 39th minute. U17 world champion Yahaya, who scored in the Flying Eagles first match against the Black Satellites, did not join the rest of the squad at the gym at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja Friday morning. The other injury worry for the Nigeria U20 team is central defender Zaharadeen Bello. Bello has been nursing a calf injury and as a result he did not feature in the second friendly against Ghana in Tema, which the Flying Eagles won 2-0. “We will review their cases and see what can be done promptly,” disclosed Flying Eagles doctor Ozi Salami.

A 10-man Flying Eagles defeated Enyimba 2-0 in a Super 4 match on Saturday in Abuja, but coach Manu Garba insisted his team have to improve on their finishing after they threw away many chances. The Nigeria U20 team took the lead through a penalty converted by captain Musa Muhammed in the 62nd minute after Ifeanyi Anaemena fouled rampaging Taiwo Awoniyi inside the box.   Substitute Musa Yahaya scored the second goal to seal the victory for the Flying Eagles in the 90th minute.   However, the Flying Eagles were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute after Prince Aggreh was sent off after a second booking.   Sweden-based striker Taiwo Awoniyi could long have killed this game for the Flying Eagles but he missed several chances.   "The game was a good test for my team because we played against a very experienced side in Enyimba," declared Manu Garba after the match. "I have seen some of the lapses especially in goal scoring. We missed a lot of scoring chances an...

The Flying Eagles stepped up their build-up for this weekend’s Super 4 in Abuja with a confidence-boosting 6-0 win over NDC Warriors at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on Tuesday. Sunshine Stars striker Prince Aggrey opened scoring for the Nigeria U20s after 13 minutes and 10 minutes later skipper Taiwo Awoniyi won a penalty, which was put away by Ifeanyi Ifeanyi. Wasiu Jimoh then saw his goal-bound effort crash against the post on 33 minutes. The Flying Eagles extended their lead in the 68th minute when Usman Hassan headed home off a free kick delivered by Jimoh. A minute later, Prince Aggrey coolly grabbed his brace as he was put through by Abdullahi Alfa. Ifeanyi Ifeanyi then scored again from the penalty spot after substitute Obinna Nwobodo was brought down inside the box on his way to goal. Substitute Gabriel completed the rout in stoppage time.   Flying Eagles starting XI: Joshua Enaholo – Zaharadeen Bello, Mustapha Abdullahi, Akinjide Idowu, Abdullahi...

  Manu Garba, the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup-winning coach, believes the Niger 2015-bound Golden Eaglets being managed by Coach Emmanuel Amuneke can go all the way at the 11th African cadet championship. Watching the new lads for the first time during Saturday's 2-0 win over Nigeria National League side, Sokoto United at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, Garba drew out some positives, advising Nigerians to rally behind the team's quest for glory in Niger. He said he has already hinted his predecessor on some technical tips, saying he was confident that the Amuneke-led team is also on the threshold of history with good preparations for their upcoming competitions. "It would be wrong to start comparing this present team with the one that won the World Cup," began Garba now tinkering with Flying Eagles. "I was particularly impressed by the two well planned goals. The team will surely qualify for the world Cup and with inclusion of other good players...

  Football lovers in Kaduna are currently experiencing a high –level excitement following the arrival of the Under 20 National Team, Flying Eagles, on Sunday for a two –month camping programme for the big event coming soon.   Coach Manu Garba and wards formally kicked off preparations for the 19th African Youth Championship at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Monday, with the FIFA U-17 World Cup –winning Coach starting his build –up with 30 players.   The squad is loaded with sterling performers from his U-17 World Cup winners, including Captain Musa Muhammed, the talismanic goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, defenders Mustapha Abdullahi, Wilfred Ndidi, Izu Omego and Zaharadeen Bello, midfielders Alfa Abdullahi, Ifeanyi Mathew and Akinjide Idowu, and forward Bernard Bulbwa.   An exciting addition is the Enyimba FC holding midfielder Kingsley Sokari, who shone brilliantly in an international friendly between the Eagles B and Ghana’s Olympic Tea...